While in Florence last night we decided to head elsewhere by this evening, and come back through Florence so we could see the Ufizi gallery (They require tickets bought a couple of days in advance). We did, however, spend the morning in the Giardino di Boboli-a fantastic area of gardens in Florence. Here’s the gate to the gardens…
The gardens were huge and gorgeous with marble statues, topiary, and water features everywhere.
And this odd item. At first I though it was a large fallen tree branch that for some reason they had cordoned off rather than take away. Then I realized that it wasn’t a tree branch, but rather a sculpture of a fallen tree branch! Now that’s weird!
Inside the garden walls were a couple of museums filled with Italian fashion…
Typical Italian decorated ceilings…
And ceramics…
After the gardens we made a stop at a Roman amphitheater. It turns out this site was variously built on by the ancient Romans, the Etruscans, and the Longbards, as well as later medieval construction. The stone walls had a pretty fascinating variety of building styles from many different areas.
They also had a museum dedicated to the archeology of the site. Almost none of it as in English, but it was still fascinating to look at the relics.
We then took our tired feet back to the car to head south to Rome. We’ve learned that driving in the big cities is basically terrifying. I haven’t touched the driver’s seat because I’m scared to! Here’s a pic of us leaving Florence. Note the jumble of cars all vying for the next slot in the roundabout, and also note the two scooter drivers squeezing past us on either side between lanes. This is typical. I can’t believe they survive!
Then it was off to Rome, where we are now. Throughout our driving we’ve been taking pictures of scenic towns and castles in the distance. Basically, the rule is, “for every hilltop there is a castle.” Here is one example out of hundreds.
Tomorrow we’ll do the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We’re starting to have to consider our itinerary more closely now, because we need to end up back in Munich in less than a week!
Good night for now..
Another wonderful day!!! So much to see and do–loved the gardens and the fallen tree sculpture–but confused by the Italian fashion! Enjoy your time in Rome!
Thanks for following our blog, and thanks for all your great comments! Glad you’re enjoying. We’re having an amazing time, and have probably shot close to 1000 photos by now! More to come soon! (oh, and by the way, we didn’t understand the Italian fashion either. What we posted wasn’t even the weirdest of it!)